Flax-separator



,fNO Modem l 3 sheets-sheet 1.

J. B-ENESH.

FLAX mluuafxtro.`

y1\T0.`514.899. Patented Feb. 20, 1894..

(No Model.) y v3 sheets-Shee''.

J. BENESH.

PLAX SEPARATOR.

No. 514,899. i A 'Patented Peb'. zo, 1894.

(Nq Model.) A 3 sheets-sheet .3.

J., BENBSH.

PLAX 'sEPARAToR;

10.514,899, I 'Patentedv Feb. 2o, 11894;-

, UNITE il; Stalins ArnNr Fries.

JOSEPH BENESH, OF RACINE, IVISCONSIN.

FLAx-sEPARAToR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,899, dated February20, 1894. Application filed May 27, 1893. Serial No.475t'740. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH BnNnsH, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Racine,in the county of Racine, and in the State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFlax-Separators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economicalseparator for cleaning flaXseed and in which various necessaryadjustments may be eected from time to time without stopping themachine.

The said invention therefore consists in certain peculiarities ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described withreference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l representsa rear elevation of my improvedseparator having parts thereof broken away to facilitate illustration;Fig. 2, a section taken on line 2-2 of the preceding figure; Fig. 3, adetail elevation illustrating the mechanism for vibrating a lower screenthat constitutes part of my machine; Fig. 4, a similar view partly insection on line 4-4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5,a detail horizontal section online 55Vof Fig. 2; Fig. -6, a detail plan View partly in horizontalsection illust-rating a portion of the supporting mechanism for one endof an upper screen that constitutes another part of said machine, andFigs. 7 and S detail sectional views respectively taken on lines 7-7 and8-8 of Fig. 3.

Referring by letter tothe drawings A represents a series ofcorner-posts, and B arseries of braces joined to the posts in anysuitable manner to form the skeleton frame of my machine.

the lower portion of this shoe farthest from the feed-end is centrallyconnected to a horizontal spring-plate II that is fast at its ends tocorner posts of said frame, as best illustratedby the detail view Fig.5.I AThe springplates herein specified constitute the sole means ofsupport for the shoe E, and loose in this shoe is a screen I having itsperforated portion preferably corrugated and the perforations of greaterlength than width. The feed-end of the screen I has lugsf joined torecess blocks g by means of pivot pins h to thereby form hinges, and bymeans of diagonally disposed spring plates .I theblocks are connected tothe side walls of the aforesaid shoe.

That end of the screen I farthest from the feed has flexible connectionsK with a shaft L arranged in bearings on the machine-frame and thisshaft is provided with a ratchet t for engagement with a detent j onsaid machine-frame. By this construction and arrangement of. parts thescreen may be adjusted and held at various angles, the adjustment beingeected without stopping the machine, inasmuch as said screen is loose inthe shoe.

Centrally arranged on the feed end of the screen I is an elastic bufferM for a knockerarm N that is fast on a rod O arranged in bearings'k onthe.machineframe counter to the drive-shaft C, and rigidly connected toone end of the rodV is a cam P controlled by a flat-spring Q undertension on the machineframe. The cam P is in the path of a wiper R faston the drive shaft C, and adjacent tothe wiper a belt-pulley S is alsomade fast to the shaft. I

From the foregoing it will be seen that the screen I has a reciprocationwith the shoe E and also an independent reciprocation because oftheknocker-and-spring mechanism specifically defined, this result being ofmaterial importance to thesuccessful operation of my machine. Inpractice mustard seed and various otherimpurities mixed with flaxseedwill run down the screen I and roll off at its lowest end while thelatter seed will fall through the perforations of said screen ontoanother screen T arranged beneath the shoe E and having circularperforations as well as an inclination in a direction opposite IOO tothe former Screen,- it being preferable to employ an inclined guideUinsaid shoe, this guide having also the function of a windboard to deiiectthe air-current in case ablastis used in connection with the separator.Any of the flaxseed that may pass through the lowest portion of thescreen I is guided to the other screen T by a deflector V that dependsfrom a cross-piece of the machinefrarne, and in practice all of theflaxseed deposited on the lower screen passes off at the lowest end ofthe same free from other seed of a round character, these round seedsfinding their way through the circular perforations in said lowerscreen. In case a blast is employed, dust, chaif and light impuritieswill be blown away coincident with the separation of the seed, but thisoperation may be performed when necessary by a separate machine.

The higher portion of the lower screen is shown suspended fromside-boards W of the machine-frame by Springplates X arranged in pairsto diverge from pivotal points of attachment to said screen, and thelatter is given a lateral vibration by means of a vertical rock-shaft Yhaving a crank connection m therewith and a similar connection n with apitman Z joined to an eccentric p 011 the drive-shaft.

The lower portion of the lower screen has flexible connections B with ashaft A loose in the side-boards W of the machine-frame and this shaftis provided with a ratchet q for engagement with a detent a' pivoted toan adjacent one of side-boards. By this construction and arrangement ofparts the inclination of the lower screen may be varied at will withoutstopping the machine.

Another adjustable iexible device C connects the lower portion of thelower screen 'l with the knocker-arm N and in consequence of thisconnection there is a rocking motion of said lower 4screen on its pivotscoincident with the operation of said knocker-arm, this rocking Vmotionbeing simultaneous with the vibration above specified and greatlyfacilitating the separation of the iaxseed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a separator, the combination of a spring-hung shoe, blocks havingspring-connection with the feed-end of the shoe,a loose screen hinged atone end to the blocks, suitable supports for the other end of thescreen, suitable means for imparting a reciprocative motion to the shoe,and a knocker for the screen, substantially as set forth.

2. In a separator, the combination of a spring-hung shoe, blocks havingspring-connections with the feed-end of the shoe, aloose screen hingedat one end to the blocks, suitable supports for the other end of thescreen, a rock-shaft provided with a knockerarm for contact with thehinged end of said screen,a spring-controlled cam fast on the shaft, adrive-shaft provided with a wiper for the cam, and pitmen that arepivoted to said shoe and eccentrically connected to the drive-shaft,substantially as set forth.

3. In a separator, the combination of a spring-hung shoe, blocks havingspring-counections with the feed-end of the shoe, a loose screen hingedat one end to the blocks, ad justable supports for the other end of thescreen, a rock-shaft provided witha knockerarm for contact with thehinged end of said screen, a spring-controlled cam fast on the shaft, adrive-shaft provided witha wiper for the cam, and pitmen that arepivoted to said shoe and eccentrically connected to the driveshaft,substantially as set forth.

4. In a separator, the combination of a loosely hung shoe, a screenloosely supported therein, a rock-shaft provided with a knockerarm forcontact with the screen, a earn fast on the rocklshaf t, a drive-shaftprovided with a wiper for the cam, pitmen connecting the drive-shaft andslice, another loosely `hung screen below the first, a suitable shakingmechanism connecting said drive-shaft and lower screen, and a flexibledevice connecting the knocker-arm and said lower screen, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atRacine,in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, in the presenceof two witnesses.

JOSEPH BENESH.

Witnesses:

FRANK STEGNER, ALBERT KLEMA;

